


the emptiness within you

by Sylanna



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-31
Updated: 2017-01-19
Packaged: 2018-08-28 06:37:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 3,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8435350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sylanna/pseuds/Sylanna
Summary: Mycroft Holmes never thought himself lonely. But that was before Sherlock and John became a couple.





	1. Am i lonely?

People are only goldfish.

Caring is not an advantage.

Oh, how often had he given his brother these advices. In the end, none of them mattered. Sherlock became involved with a certain ex-army doctor. At least his brother had someone who made him happy.

Also, John Watson kept his brother safe from all the danger The Work was responsible for. Of course Mycroft still tracked his younger brother via CCTV from time to time just to be on the safe side, but over all the doctor had a good influence on the consulting detective. So good infact, that the surveillance became less time consuming for Mycroft. What would be a pleasant turn of events for every other worker did the opposite to Mycroft. Now that he had more time to himself he didn't know what to do with it.

So he found himself more often than not alone in his apartment. After two weeks, the silence started to drive him mad. After another he started to watch over Sherlock again, only to find him cuddling with John Watson on the couch in Baker Street. Certainly not a picture Mycroft expected to see. This was the first time, he felt like an intruder. All his other spying was only to ensure the continuing existance of Sherlock, but this was hardly neccessary anymore. Mycroft sighed and reached for the off-switch on his computer.

The next evening he tried to watch television. Of course only love stories on every channel. Even the new Doctor Who Series started to sicken him as he saw this young regeneration with his blonde companion in a too intimate embrace. He watched it remembering the time when he sat with Sherlock in his childhood home watching the classic series. After the episode came a rerun of the first Torchwood episode, which annoyed him deeply. He only could watch the first few minutes before shutting the tv off. Gwen was so extremly annoying.

He did not turn on the tv for the next few days.

Instead he did what Sherlock did. He phoned Greg Lestrade and asked politely if there were any unsolved cases.


	2. Chapter 2

Greg Lestrade sat alone in his office trying to fill out some paperwork when his phone rang. He picked it up hoping that there hadn't been another murder. He just wanted to finish his work and go home.

"Hello? This is DI Lestrade, who's there?"

"Good evening Detective Inspector, i hope i am not interrupting you."

"Mycroft Holmes? Is Sherlock alright?"

"Yes, my brother seems to enjoy his life with the good Doctor Watson."

"So, why are you calling then?" Lestrade was curious and also wanted to get to the point. "Because Sherlock is obviously not the issue today."

"Yes, you are quite right. John has a good influence on him, don't you think?"

"They are more or less a couple, so there's definitely a good influence. Even my team is kind of changing."

"Yes?" Mycroft sounded impressed. "And who would you discribe this effect?"

"Well, Sally stopped calling him a Freak, for what that's worth. Maybe that's because she has to fear getting punched by John..."

Mycroft chuckled. Greg couldn't believe what he had just heard. Mycroft Holmes was honestly amused?

"I'm sure you can remember the day, i think it was nearly a week after they got together, when Anderson shouted "Freak" after your brother and John nearly broke his nose for this?"

"Oh i ca remember very clearly. My assistent interrupted an important meeting because of that incident. She spoke of "pleasant changes" and something else along those lines, but i deleted it from my memory."

Greg giggled a little.

"May i inquire about your amusement?"

"Is it a palace or the equivalent of a small city?"

"Excuse me?"

"I know that Sherlock has a mind palace to store his information in. The method of loci. You talked about deleting memories so i think, you use this technique too. So, palace or something completely different."

Greg was now very confused. All his previous conversations with the elder Holmes were brief and to the point, but this one seemed more or less like a talk between two good friends. Odd.

"I am impressed Detective Inspector."

"You don't have to be. I had to work to get into my position. But i know that Sherlock thinks i'm an idiot, but sometimes i'm not. I also recognized that you haven't told me the reason of your call yet..."  
He let the words hang in the air.

"I wanted to know if there are any unsolved cases i could help you with."

Greg shook his head. He liked Mycroft of course, but this was not something he was willing to do. So instead he asked, if Mycroft was bored.


	3. More data needed

Mycroft nearly dropped the phone as the question came through. Was he bored? Certainly not, or?

"I am certainly not bored, Detektive Inspector. I just wanted to be polite since my brother is sometimes otherwise occupied."

"This is an image i rather not have in my head, so shut up. You are bored, i know how a Holmes behaves when bored. The real question i have is why you guys chose me to bother. Isn't there something in the government to do for you?"

Mycroft shut up. There had never been another individual surving to talk to him that way. He carefully considered to hang up, as Greg started to talk again.

"Are you still there? I'm sorry, that sounded rude. I didn't mean that."

Mycroft still remained cautious. "It's alright. So i suppose you don't need my help then."

"It's not that i wouldn't appreciate your work, but i think you should not waste your free time by working for me."

"Free time is just wasted. I could do so much more for justice when i help the police."

"I think you have done already enough for the greater good, so just enjoy your time off. Do you even know what normal people do with free time?"

Mycroft fell silent and thought about it. He really had no idea what he himself would enjoy.

Greg chuckled on the other end. "Just as i thought. I make you an offer. I come over to that posh club of yours and we find yourself something to do that is not working for anyone. Ok?"

"You want to spend time with me?" Mycroft didn't know what to say.

"Well, your obviously feeling miserable at the moment and i think i can help you a bit. So, yes."

"I didn't know that you are so observant. I shall await you at the Diogenes then."

"See you then."

As Mycroft hung up, he felt something akin to nervousness. He obviously had to overthink his previous deductions of a certain DI. That man seemed to be far more interesting than Sherlock has given him credit for. Of course Mycroft knew that the DI had to be clever to get to his current position, but today that man was surprisingly clever. Maybe the evening brought some new data.


	4. Chapter 4

Greg was nervous, so nervous. He was standing at the front door of the Diogenes, hand raised to knock. But then he hestitated.

In the last hour he had nearly been unable to do any paperwork because he had been thinking about his conversation with Mycroft Holmes. He had never believed that also the government official would see him as a friend. But somehow it was obvious. The call had mad that much clear. 

But still Greg wasn't to keen on giving access to another Holmes to old cases. Well, having those old murders finally solved would be nice - but Greg had already enough problems with his superiors for consulting Sherlock.

 

 

Also he knew what kind of work Mycroft did and more work did him certainly nothing good.

And Mycroft was cute, there's no denying it.

So that's why Greg was standing in front of the Diogenes. He knocked. A man who was dressed like a butler opened the door for him.

"What is your wish?" The man asked.

"I am awaited by Mister Holmes."

"Of course, please follow me inside." That was more or leas the typical process at the door of the club.

Greg knew about the the rules of silence and obeyed them. He understood the wish the men at the club had to have. A wish to be quiet.

Of course Greg also knew behind which door Mycroft's office was located, but he still followed the butler.

"Here we are. You may enter, he is awaiting you."

 

 

The room was dark, the only light shone in from the window. Mycroft Holmes sat in his office chair, for once not reading in papers or checking something on his phone.

"Good evening Detektive Inspector."

"I'm not in duty at the moment. Please call me Greg, because i think we are past the point of calling us by our last names. Only if it's ok for you." Greg added because suddenly he felt uncertain. Surely this wasn't an offer anyone would make...

"You can call me Mycroft then. I only beg you not to shorten it. I will call you by your full given name in return. And yes, i am not with that many people on a first name basis."

"I feel honored Mycroft." Greg answered.


	5. Chapter 5

"So after you have so clearly observed that i do not really know what to do with free time, I would like to know what you have planned out."

Greg shook his head. "I don't really know jet. I have thought of some things of course, but I wanted to talk to you first."

"If you wanted to talk, we could have phoned."

"In person I mean. On the phone I can not see your face." Greg smiled at his own cheesy comment. "Do you have any preferences."

"Please do not take me to some cinema. I detest watching movies."

"Movies in general or only the current blockbusters?"

Mycroft smiled a litte at this question. "The blockbusters are gruesome, yes. Everything else is just a waste of time."

Greg smiled brighter. One day, he was going to prove this man, that not everything was a waste of time and that some movies were worth watching.

"Well, okay. How about museums?"

"I've been to the National Gallery too often, but never to the Tate Modern."

"Interested in the new exhibition there?"

"Why? I do not believe you would enjoy this."

"Maybe I would like going to a football game better, but today is about you, not me."

Mycroft looked interested. "You would sacrifice your precious free time to do something not pleasing you?"

"It's no hardship really. So, come on then, I see that you want to go."

 


	6. museum trip, part 1

Twenty minutes later, the noble car Mycroft owned stopped at the backside of the museum. Mycroft was surprised, that the DI was such a pleasing company. The man refrained from pressuring Mycroft into talking about topics like work or popular club or other such nonsense.

 

Instead, the DI had asked him about his favourite place in the city. It sounded like genuine interest an Mycroft found himself wishing to answer. "I really don't know. Maybe my office at the diogenes?"

"That seems like a really poor choice to me, but I like to know why?"

"It's ... silent. And private. Not a room where anybody would try to invade."

"Sherlock being as always the exeption to it?", Greg asked amused.

"Of course. But he doesn't like that place either. He only comes by in an emergency, or to steal my whiskey to annoy me."

"You like whiskey?"

"Very much. I do not indulge in drinking frequently, but some days require a good glass. Does this surprise you?"

"Well, I never thought of you consuming alcohol..."

"Trust me, it comes with the job", Mycroft assured him. "In my line of work, I have to often drink with foreign dignitaries or at fundraisers - it is expected."

"Reminds me of the few formal events I had to attend myself. Although the wiskey there was just some cheap brew..."

"I didn't know you were fond this beverage."

"Referring to the file you keep on me?", Greg asked. "Not everything is in there. Of course, most of the time I prefer a simple beer when I'm out, but from time to time?"

 

 

They entered the museum and started to walk around. Their conversation remained easy and Mycroft loosend up a bit. Unexplicably he found himself enjoying this trip.

As they entered the next room, Greg laughed a little. The artworks in front of them sparkled in different colors. As Mycroft approached on of the _things_ , he saw that there were green crystals all over the surface.

"What do you deem so amusing?"

"I had a thought of your Brother, only younger than he is now, experimenting on one of those crystal-growing-sets. Spilling it over everything and waiting what will happen."

"It is an amusing picture, I agree, but my brother would have hardly used the set for it's indended purpose. He had one of those sets when he was five, and he tried to set it on fire. Successfully I may add."  


"And why?"

"He had wished for some other utensils for his private lab, but our aunt bought him that instead. He was not amused."


	7. museum trip, part 2

"I can imagine that very well. I hope there wasn't that much damage to the house..."

"Fortunatly not."

Greg sensed that Mycroft didn't want to talk about Sherlock any longer, so he posed another question. "So, if you don't mind me asking..."

"What is it, Gregory?"

"What kind of presents did you get?"

"You mean aside the cake?"

Greg smiled at the sudden sparkle in Mycroft's eyes. "Yeah..?"

"Mostly books."

"Which topics?"

"My parents bought me classical and educational material, while the others gifted me with some prose."

"Really?"

Mycroft shook his head in amusement. "Some works I did enjoy, especially the classics."

"For example?"

"Alice in Wonderland."

"You've read it? And enjoyed it? Wow."

 

They entered another room with great picture of a cake. Mycroft stared at the thing. "It reminds me of the only birthday party I had."

"Only? So it wasn't pleasant?"

"It was a disaster. But the cake was really good, my mother made it. It looked a bit like the one on that painting."

Greg had an idea. "So if you would like, we could go out for a coffee and cake. I mean, after we left the museum."

Mycroft had a better idea. "A know a small thing nearby with a great view on the thames."

"And where would that be?"

Mycroft just pointed upwards.

 

There was in fact a small cafe on the top floor of the museum. The whole front was made of glass and offered a great view on the river, the Millenium Bridge and the cathedral on the other side. The weather was good and sometimes one could see a spot of blue sky behind the clouds. The cafe had a general modern setting, so Greg went to the bar and ordered himself a coffe and some cookies. Mycroft on the other had wanted a tea and some cake. It seemed as the previous talk about the sweets had inflamed his appetite.

They took a seat for two at the window and remained silent for a while.

"What do you think, is this trip a waste of time?"

"Quite the opposite, Gregory. Somehow I find I satisfying."

"I'm relieved that you think so. I thought that I may be boring you with insisting to go to a museum."

"I am not bored, I found your invitation very thoughtful and kind."

"Kind? Not a word I would use to decribe myself."

"What would you use?"

"Clueless, maybe?" Greg felt unsure.

Mycroft raised his eyebrows. "Why that?"

"I had to ask you about everything. I mean, you can probably tell what I like just from looking at me."

"That's not clueless, Gregory. Not everybody has the talents of observation and deduction and you asking means you want to know. And that is what I find really admirable. Most people just don't care to ask me something anymore."


	8. confession

Greg's eyes widend. He sensed how much strengh it must have cost Mycroft to admit such a thing. He thought about it. It was true that if you had a certain job, people just stopped asking. They seemed to assume that everthing you are is the job.

"Thanks for the compliment in there." Greg remaind silent for a while. "Is it so bad? I mean, that nobody want's to get to know you?"

Mycroft said nothing for a while. "I am used to it by now, only to be seen as a part of the government."

"That's not an answer to my question."

"I shall try to explain it better. I tell myself that it doesn't matter, but then there are times I wish for someone..."

Greg smiled. "But let me guess, it's not easy for you to let down your guard."

"Exactly. That does not make it easy to get to like me, does it?"

"Yeah. But I like you well enough. Care to make such a trip again?"

 

"Of course, why not?"

 

\------

 

 

The next day was fairly uneventful, both at scotland yard and at mycroft's office, so that Mycroft was relieved when Gregory sent him a message.

>Something to do? GL<

>Not at this time. MH<

>I come by. GL<

>I send a car to pick you up?<

>I guess there's no way to tell you no, so, thanks. GL<

 

The car arrived ten minutes later, what seemed to be a record considering the london traffic. Greg sat down on one backseat and looked out. It already became dark outside, but the weather was not that bad. Just the wind was too strong for Greg's liking.

After ten minutes Greg realized that the driver took a strange way...

"Wait, where are we going?", he asked the man in front.

"Mr. Holmes advised me to deliver you to his favourite place to dine."

"What?!" Greg was a little bit shocked, before he understood. At least he wouldn't have to ask Mycroft out. "It's meant as a date! Yes!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really don't know how to go on from this point  
> anything you want to read?

**Author's Note:**

> English is not my first language. Feel free to point out any mistakes.


End file.
